Have You Forgotten That Magic Comes With A Price?
by RumpelstiltskinDearie
Summary: These were the child's eyes he had gazed into with love; these were the youth's eyes that he had avoided, his shame too great. The eyes that always seemed to see everything. They were the eyes of Baelfire.
1. Chapter 1

**Have You Forgotten That Magic Comes With A Price?  
by Gwin Gold**

-X-X-X-

**Author's Note: **I was looking through my library of song lyrics (that I keep for inspiration purposes), and the verses below kept standing out.  
And so, I've decided to write a series of one-shots, featuring characters that I believe would relate to the lyrics. That is, characters with completely awful luck-characters that could greatly relate to the lyrics.  
Enjoy, and I'd love reviews! Reviewers will get one wish for me to grant, so long as it's do-able. For instance, I'm an expert editor; I catch almost all punctuation, grammar, and spelling mistakes. And I can fix them too. Or I can write you a one-shot using your favorite character from a book, show, or movie; if I haven't heard of them before though, you'll have to provide me with information about the character. ;)

-X-X-X-

**I created the sound of madness  
Wrote the book on pain  
Somehow I'm still here to explain  
That the darkest hour never  
comes in the night  
You sleep with a gun  
But when you gonna wake up and fight  
For yourself?**

_Shinedown - "The Sound of Madness"_

-X-X-X-

Mr. Gold gazed down into the old well. The purple fog that had spread over Storybrooke had faded away now, leaving what appeared to be an ordinary well.

He stepped back. As he put weight onto his previously stiff leg, he realized it had been healed-he no longer needed the cane.

A flash of triumph seized him, and with a smile he tossed the cane into the bushes.

He looked around. The hope he felt was so overwhelmingly fierce, it was almost as though he was being suffocated by a great wave. _Now that magic has returned, I have the means I need to find Bae..._

Memories of his wonderful, clever, amazing son took over his mind, and unlike the times before, he did not fight them. He welcomed them with open arms as he made his way back towards town. If his suspicions were correct, any man, woman, or child from the fairy tale land would be immediately drawn to Storybrooke because of the arrival of magic.

Baelfire had used a magic bean to open a portal to a world without magic-Earth.

Mr. Gold (though he had been known as Rumpelstiltskin in Fairy Tale Land) had been too cowardly to follow. And the deal he had made with his son had been the first deal he had ever broken.

_But you can try to make up for all of that now, _Gold told himself. _Or...at least I can apologize, and hope that he can be the better man that he always was and find it in his heart to forgive me._

He was jerked back to reality when he heard voices. He was back in town already.

Everyone was out wandering the streets, all of them either confused or terrified. Mr. Gold kept walking, not stopping to answer any questions that people happened to ask him.

"Where were you, Mr. Gold?"

"What's happening?"

"Did you see the fog?"

He reached his shop and shut the door, locking it tight behind him. He drew the shades and went back into his office. It was dark, but he didn't mind. It gave him the opportunity to think.

He sat down in his chair at the desk and leaned back, gazing into the shadows. There was one darker shape in the back of the room; an old cloak hanging from a nail.

It was Baelfire's. It was one of the only things Gold had brought with him into this world.

Mr. Gold drew in a deep, shaky breath, determined not to shed anymore tears over his lost son. If all worked according to plan, they would soon be reunited...

A week later, Mr. Gold was in his shop. He had kept a careful eye out for any sign of a man who resembled his dear Bae, but so far hadn't seen any. There had been a new arrival with shaggy black hair who called himself Aladdin, and several others that Gold hadn't caught the names of, but none were the people he was looking for.

Then again, Gold hadn't gone outside much since magic had come to Storybrooke. He knew for a fact that Regina was furious with him. And he didn't want to deal with that at the moment. His mind was on more important things.

Mr. Gold had his head lowered, studying a few pieces of paper on the counter, when he heard the door to his shop open. He looked up, expecting to see another lost soul searching for someone to give them directions.

A man was standing in the center of the room. He was middle-aged, with dark hair that brushed his shoulders. He looked as though he hadn't shaved in about three days, and he wore jeans, a white shirt, and a black jacket.

But what caught Mr. Gold's attention was the man's keen eyes. They were dark; it was unclear of whether they were green or brown. The most noticeable thing about them, however, was how bright and keen they were.

For Gold, it was unmistakable. These were the child's eyes he had gazed into with love; these were the teenager's eyes that he had avoided, his shame too great. The eyes that always seemed to see everything. They were the eyes of...

"Bae..." Mr. Gold whispered, his voice cracking. "Baelfire..."

The man's brow furrowed in confusion. "How do you know my-" But then he broke off, peering into Gold's face. Recognition sparked in the man's eyes. "Papa."

"Bae," Mr. Gold repeated, unable to stop saying the name he had thought many times before but hadn't actually spoken for so many years. "My son..."

Baelfire's face darkened. "It's been a long time."

Seeing the anger in Baelfire's face, Gold winced. That anger hurt him worse than the cruellest knife. "I know."

"You broke our deal, Papa." Baelfire's voice was sad...hurt.

"I...I know," Gold said. He vaguely realized that he was trembling. "Bae...oh, Bae, I'm so sorry. I know that nothing I do or say can make up for the lost time, but for what it's worth...I searched for you, Bae. Every single day, I searched for you."

Baelfire watched his father, his expression unreadable. Mr. Gold continued on, painfully aware that his voice was shaking.

"You were right, Baelfire. You were right. I was a coward. I _am _a coward. I promised you I would come with you if you found a way, but I let my fears get the best of me. Just...I..." Gold drew in a deep, shuddering breath. "I've missed you so much, boy. I don't-I don't deserve your forgiveness."

It had been agonizing to say, but it was the truth, at least for Gold. He _didn't _deserve it. He had broken a deal with the most precious thing in his life-his son. He had left his son to brave a new world alone.

Mr. Gold lowered his head for a minute, trying to force back the tears. When he managed to look up again, he was shocked to see Baelfire shaking his head.

"Oh, Papa. You know me better than that; I forgive you for it. I forgive you for everything. I've...I've missed you so much."

Hearing those words broke Gold's heart, and he couldn't stop himself anymore. Tears began trailing down his face, and before he knew what was happening, Baelfire had stepped forward and thrown his arms around him.

Mr. Gold returned the embrace, shaking with sobs. "I love you, Bae...my beautiful boy..."

"I love you too, Papa."

They stood there for several minutes, father and son once again, reunited. Finally, Gold broke the embrace, and they stood there silently.

-X-X-X-

**Author's Note: **Okay, I know I said this was meant to be a one-shot. But I love Gold and Bae so much, I had to add another chapter in, as this was getting too long. If you don't like angst (and would prefer not to see how the lyrics fit into the story), then don't read on. Leave the page now and keep memories of a happy ending; if you go on, you will not get one.


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note: **Here is the ending of the story. It's sad, and I kind of regret writing it, but it was what I started out to do. Please don't flame me! Leave reviews, please?

-X-X-X-

**I created the sound of madness  
Wrote the book on pain  
Somehow I'm still here to explain  
That the darkest hour never  
comes in the night  
You sleep with a gun  
But when you gonna wake up and fight  
For yourself?**

_Shinedown - "The Sound of Madness"_

-X-X-X-

Days later, Gold and Baelfire were in the shop, talking. They spent most of their time doing so; they had a lot to catch up on.

At one point, Mr. Gold stood up. "I'll be back in a moment, Bae; your old man's thirsty and needs something to drink." He gave Bae a wry grin, and went back into his office to get some water.

He was just bringing two glasses back into the main shop, when a loud sound froze him in his tracks.

The ear-splitting crack of a gunshot.

Mr. Gold dropped the glasses, and they shattered on the floor. He ran to the main shop just in time to see Baelfire's legs buckle underneath him as he collapsed.

Regina stood in the doorway, a smirk on her face and a smoking revolver in her hand.

"Oh, gods...Oh, gods, Bae!" Gold cried, falling to the floor next to Baelfire and cradling his upper body in his lap. Baelfire's snow-white shirt was slowly becoming soaked through with crimson blood.

Baelfire coughed weakly, opening his eyes and looking up into his father's face. "I'm sorry, Papa..."

"No, don't be," Gold whispered. "It's not your fault...oh, Bae...please, hold on. You'll make it through this."

"You know that's not true," Baelfire murmured. "The bullet...it caught me just below the heart..."

"Bae...Bae, please, please don't leave me..." Gold did not keep back his sobs, or the tears that flowed down his face. "I can't lose you again...stay with me, Bae, I can't live without you..."

"You can, and you will," Baelfire whispered. His bright, piercing eyes were slowly dimming. "I love you, Papa, and no matter what you do, I always will..."

"Bae, don't leave me!" Mr. Gold begged. "Hang on, Bae! Please just hang on, the hospital isn't far-"

Baelfire shook his head weakly. "I'm going to be gone soon...but Papa: you'll have a happy ending. I know you will..."

As Mr. Gold, sobbing and quietly pleading, cradled his son's body in his arms, Baelfire breathed his last.

And Gold heard what little pieces he had left of his heart shatter.

Half-blinded by tears, he lowered Baelfire to the ground with all the tender gentleness he had handled him with when he was a baby. Gold heard Regina's voice come from the doorway.

"Oh, Rumpel. Have you forgotten that magic comes with a price?"

She left the store, leaving Mr. Gold to weep over his son's lifeless body.

Hours later, Gold staggered to his feet. The tears had run out, and the grief had been replaced with something else-a more familiar emotion.

Fury. A rage as blazing hot as the fiery phoenixes from Fairy Tale Land.

He had been a coward all his life. He had always had the weapons, always had the threats. But he had never once been brave enough to use them.

Not any longer.

Through the pain he still felt, there was also a feeling of determination.

There would be no more hiding. He would be a coward no longer.

Regina would pay. Oh, she would pay, though the revenge would be a small consolation to Gold's sorrow.

It was time for him to fight.


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's Note: **Again, I did say this would be a one-shot. But then it grew into a two-chapter short story. And now, due to the wonderful reviews I've gotten, I've decided to keep going with this. :D I'll choose different lyrics for each chapter this time, since there'll probably be at least two more chapters I add.  
Thanks to GoldenDearie, Horse9824, nochance, and all the other wonderful dearies (XD) who reviewed! And now, for the third chapter...

-X-X-X-

**I don't wanna live  
To waste another day  
Underneath the shadows of  
mistakes I've made  
Cuz I feel like I'm  
breaking inside.**

_Shinedown - Breaking Inside_

-X-X-X-

It was Tuesday. Nearly a week since Baelfire's passing.

Mr. Gold had purchased a coffin, gone to the cemetery, and had Baelfire's funeral. Several townsfolk had wanted to help him; they didn't know who Gold was burying, but they didn't think he should be doing the burial and funeral all by himself.

Then again, those townsfolk also sensed that Gold was in a precarious emotional state, and it would be best not to go anywhere near him.

After the funeral, Mr. Gold had disappeared into this shop, and had not come out since then.

He was sitting at his desk, a dagger clutched in his hand. The blade was slim but razor-sharp, with his old name engraved on it-Rumpelstiltskin.

Gold stabbed the dagger into the desk, over and over again, uncaring about how badly he gouged the wood. He was beyond caring about materialistic things any longer.

The only thing on his mind was vengeance. Vengeance, and how he could execute it.

Suddenly, he heard the door to the store open.

He cursed silently. He had seen no reason to lock the door; he had assumed people would avoid him.

"Gold? Mr. Gold, are you in here?"

Oh, brilliant. It was Emma Swan. One of the last people he wanted to see.

"I'm _closed_, dearie," Gold called back, speaking through gritted teeth. "Come back later."

"It's important, Mr. Gold."

"No, it's not," he shouted back, losing control of his emotions. "Nothing-_nothing_-is important anymore!"

"Look, Gold, I don't know who you buried at the cemetery last week, or what happened, and I'm sorry. But there's someone out here who I think knows you, and if you don't come out, then I'll come back there." Emma sounded irritated.

Mr. Gold was silent, debating on whether he should stay where he was and throw his knife at Emma as soon as she came in, or just comply. Finally, he got up and went into the store.

"What is it?" he growled, refusing to look at her.

"This lady was found wandering the streets, and she kept saying 'Rumpelstiltskin' over and over again. And according to Henry, that's who you used to be, back in the Fairy Tale world or whatever," Emma said. "Do you recognize her?"

Gold hesitated, and then looked up. When he saw the woman standing near Emma, he nearly fell to his knees in disbelief.

_It-it can't be... she's dead, she... am I seeing ghosts, now?_

"Rumpelstiltskin?" the woman asked, taking a timid step towards him.

"Belle," Mr. Gold breathed, unable to grasp what was happening. "But...but you're dead. Regina said-" Then he broke off. _Of course._

Regina. That lying, ruthless, deceitful hag.

Belle took a few more steps forward until she was right in front of him. Breaking out of his thoughts, Gold stumbled back.

"No, Belle. I can't-you can't be seen with me. It's too dangerous, Belle, too dangerous." He knew how frantic and hysterical his voice sounded, but he didn't care. He needed her to understand.

"But...I thought you'd...I've missed you so..." Oh, the pain in her eyes cut straight into him.

"Belle, I'm sorry for everything. But you can't be seen with me now. Not yet. There's...someone who wants to punish me for something, and she's already killed my...my son. I don't want you gone too. Please, please get out until it's safe."

He glanced back and forth from Belle to Emma. Both of them had identical expressions of worried confusion on their faces.

"Gold, if you're in trouble, you should have let me-" Emma started.

"No!" Mr. Gold burst out. "You will only make things worse. It's best if you don't get involved; the less things you stick your nose into, the less danger you'll be in."

"And if you try to fix things on your own, you'll end up breaking the law, and you'll be the one to get arrested," Emma shot back. "You-"

Gold stabbed his dagger into the countertop, cutting her off short. "I will serve justice in the way that I see fit, and you had better keep out of my affairs," he spat.

"Fine. You-Belle, is it?-come on. You can stay at the sheriff's office for now; you'll be safe until all this blows over." Emma took Belle's arm, but she pulled away.

"I need to talk with Rum-Mr. Gold," Belle said, fixing her sky blue eyes on Gold. He tensed uncomfortably.

"Okay, fine, whatever." Emma's exasperation was obvious. "I'm going back to my office. You two stay here and resolve your problems." With that, she left, letting the door slam shut behind her.

There was silence in the store for several minutes before Belle spoke again. "What's wrong, Rumpelstiltskin? What's going on?"

Gold felt mildly surprised that her first words held concern for him, instead of anger at his rejecting her and throwing her out of her castle-only for her to get captured by Regina. "It's hard to explain. Someone is very angry with me, and she killed my son. She'll kill you too, if she knows you have come to see me."

"Regina? The Evil Queen?" Belle's voice was soft.

He hesitated. "Yes. And despite what happened, I..." _Come on, Gold. Tell her what's on your mind. You might not ever get another chance._

"Despite everything I said and did, I love you. And I don't want to lose you again, by my doing or someone else's. I've made so many mistakes, Belle; and I regret them. Every single one of them."

A faint blush rose on Belle's cheeks. "But I want to help you. I don't want to go hide away from reality; I've been hidden away for too long."

"You don't even know what I want to do," Gold replied, his voice quiet. "And if you knew, Belle...you wouldn't think so highly of me then."

"Nothing could change my feelings about you," Belle protested.

Mr. Gold laughed quietly, a bitter sound. "Oh, if you knew what was going through my head, dearie, it would change."

"You want revenge on Regina."

"Correct." Mr. Gold yanked his dagger out of the countertop, and studied it, running a thumb along the edge of the blade. "And if you're still the same person you were before-"

"I'm going to tell you that you can settle this peacefully, without violence," Belle finished. She put a hand on his arm.

Gold pulled away from her. "Peacefully?" he repeated, every movement and every word bordering on hysteria. "_Without violence_? She killed Baelfire, Belle! I saw his life bleed out before my very eyes. She locked you up. She doesn't deserve peace! She never has; she never will! And by the gods, I will see her blood!"

"Calm down!" Belle demanded, unafraid. "Stop and think, Rumpelstiltskin."

"I _have _been thinking, and I've already made my decision." He turned a steely gaze onto her. "Regina...will...die."

Belle sighed, shaking her head. "I suppose I can't stop you. I never could. Just stay safe-_I _don't want to lose _you _again."

Before Gold could respond, Belle had left the store, leaving him alone with only his own misery and troubled thoughts.


	4. Chapter 4

**Author's Note: **Just to make it clear, I'm not sure how many more chapters there will be of this. I still haven't decided how to end it, but my initial plan was (and is) to put up a chapter a day until it's finished. Of course, the fact that I stop doing my schoolwork to write this doesn't make my mother happy, but what can I do? It's Gold's fault! Or, no, wait...it's Regina's fault. Yeah, I'll tell my mother that when she gets angry with me for working on this instead of schoolwork.  
Thanks to nochance and Marcie Gore, as well as all the other wonderful dearies (XD) who have reviewed this story thus far. And now, for the fourth chapter...

-X-X-X-

**There's nothing you can do to take the pain away  
You may find broken dreams are the price of the games we play  
Closing the door, you hope the world will disappear  
Then you open your eyes and you find everyone's still here.******

_Tasmin Archer - "Hero"_

-X-X-X-

Mr. Gold spent the rest of the day running circles in his own head. Everything that had happened in the past week-as well as the rest of his life-kept repeating themselves, and whispers of everything Baelfire and Belle had said that week haunted him.

He nearly lost his courage several times, but when night fell, it returned.

Gold knew that he couldn't spend the rest of his life being a coward. No matter how many times he hid or ran away, there would always be another soldier or another witch. There was no escape.

And so he had to take matters into his own hands. His life was in the hands of fate no longer.

He would determine his own destiny, and if it ended with his death, than so be it.

Mr. Gold picked up his dagger, casting one last glance at the name on the blade before carefully putting it back into its leather sheath.

He felt slightly awkward carrying around a knife, even though he was wearing an expensive suit. He supposed he could put on his old leather garb; he had brought it with him to this world as well.

But he decided against it. Leather was not the best thing to wear on a hot summer night. Keeping his hand near the pommel of his dagger, he opened the door of his shop and walked outside into the night.

It was warm, and slightly humid, as he had suspected. He made his way down the street, keeping to the shadows. There were too many people in town who enjoyed meddling in other's affairs.

Mr. Gold stopped outside the mayor's office, and took a look around. After a few minutes, he deduced that Regina had already gone home. He didn't know whether to feel relieved or frustrated. _There might be more attention called to us if I was to confront her in town, but if I confront her at home, Henry will be there..._

No. He would think of that later.

Even though Gold no longer needed a cane, it still took him a good hour to reach Regina's mansion.

When he got there, he was unsurprised to find that Regina had put up a magical barrier around her house.

"Did you think that would keep me out, dearie?" Gold whispered. He cast some magic of his own, and, with some difficulty, managed to get the barrier down long enough to get inside the yard. The invisible barrier sprang up again moments afterwards.

He moved with a silent tread, making his way towards the front door.

A sudden flare of light blinded him momentarily, but he still had instinct enough to throw himself to the side. He hit the ground hard and rolled several times before stopping.

Resisting the urge to wince, he sat up. The fireball Regina had hurled at him had destroyed the picket fence around the yard.

Gold staggered to his feet, fixing his eyes on the shadowy figure of Regina, who stood on her front doorstep.

"Nice try, dearie," he said. "But you missed."

"On purpose," she said. "I wanted to hear what you had to say." She sneered.

"Oh, of course you did," Mr. Gold said. "The thing is, I don't have anything I want to say."

"Then I suppose you came here to kill me." Her voice had a derisive, mocking tone to it.

"Indeed I did," Gold replied. "You didn't think you'd get away with murder without facing the consequences, did you?" He could not keep his words from shaking with rage, though he just managed to keep his face unreadable.

Regina laughed. "You've thought your son was dead for ages. Now that he is, it's not much different."

"But he _was_ alive!" Gold snarled. "I saw him, I was talking with him, and then you had to come along and rip his life away from him! Do you expect me to let you get away with that?"

"My, such temper." Regina's face was hidden by shadows, but Gold could hear the smirk in her voice.

Mr. Gold reached for his dagger, and snapped his arm back up, moments away from throwing.

Before he could, a loud crack sounded, and fiery pain exploded in his shoulder. The shock of it made him fall to his knees, and drop the dagger.

"Bringing a knife to a gunfight, Rumpel? I thought you would know better than that."

Before Gold could answer, there was the sound of running footsteps, and Henry appeared in the doorway behind Regina.

"Mom, what's going on? Why did you shoot Mr. Gold?" He sounded confused and a little scared.

"He was asking for it." Regina's voice was cold. "Henry, go back inside."

"But, Mom-"

Hearing the conversation, Gold realized the possibility of another type of revenge-one that would be so much more worth it than just killing Regina. Struck by the irony of it all, he began to laugh. It was mostly his normal laugh, but held undertones of the high-pitched, rather manic laugh he had used when he was Rumpelstiltskin.

Regina stared at him. It had to have been a strange sight; an expensively dressed man, clasping a hand to a bleeding gunshot wound in his shoulder, laughing like a madman.

"What's so funny, you imbecile?" she snapped, aiming her gun at him again. Henry darted back inside the house and turned on the porch lights, so that he could see just what was 'wrong' with Mr. Gold.

It took several minutes before Mr. Gold could regain his composure. He gazed up at Regina was a supercilious smile. "Oh, Regina?" he called, a slightly singsongy tone to his voice. "Where's your son?"

Just as she turned around, he snapped his fingers, and Henry vanished in a puff of amethyst-colored smoke.

Regina spun back around to face Mr. Gold, screaming curses. "What did you do with him? _Bring...him...back!"_

Mr. Gold laughed again. "A life for a life, _Your Majesty_," he taunted.

She let out a frustrated shriek, and fired the gun several more times. But Gold had already snapped his fingers and disappeared as well.


	5. Chapter 5

**Author's Note: **I'm having so much fun writing this! XD I can't write short stories/one-shots if my life depended on it, because I just get too carried away!****

-X-X-X-

**I've been heading in the wrong direction,  
Hiding for my own protection,  
Running, but my heart was standing still.  
I guess you saw the light inside me,  
Your love has been a torch to guide me,  
I hope I can be all that you deserve.**  
**  
**_Ronan - "Superman"_

-X-X-X-

Mr. Gold reappeared in his pawnbroker shop. He bit back a hiss of pain; now that the imminent danger was over, his shoulder burned with agony.

He managed to make his way over to the window, and peered outside. His plan had worked so far; Henry was just outside the sheriff's office, talking a mile a minute to Emma.

That had been his goal. He knew that if he gave Emma the chance to take custody of her son again, she would not hesitate to take it. Now, the only thing that remained was to use his influence when the case went to court, and then...

Then Regina would have lost the most precious person in her world. A life for a life.

A son for a son.

Gold went back into his office and sat down in his chair. He had to do something about the wound in his shoulder, or it would no doubt get infected.

He had just taken his coat off and halfway-unbuttoned the white shirt he wore beneath when he heard someone pounding on the door to the store.

"Who is it?" he called out.

"Emma Swan! Open up, will you?"

With a sigh, Mr. Gold got to his feet and unlocked the door to the shop. Emma barged in, Henry close behind.

"And to what do I owe the dubious pleasure of your visit?" Gold asked wryly, holding an old cloth to the bloody injury in his shoulder.

"What's going on here?" Emma demanded. "I'm just about to close up and go home, and then Henry appears out of nowhere giving me some crazy story about you fighting with Regina, and then using magic to teleport him back here."

"And that's a crazy story?" Gold said. "It sounds quite accurate to me."

"All right, so you used your magic to do this. What I want to know is, _why_?"

"I would think it is rather obvious," Mr. Gold said. "I did tell you that someone had killed my son. It was Regina. And so now I'm paying her back."

"I don't see how pulling a parlor trick and sending Henry to town is any sort of payback," Emma said, her voice thick with sarcasm.

"You want custody of Henry, don't you?" Gold watched her face to see her reaction. "Yes, you do. Well, I'm willing to help you get it. She took away my son, so I'm going to take away hers."

"Why didn't you just kill me then?" Ah, yes. That was Henry for you-ever bold and never hesitating to ask questions, no matter how disturbing.

"I may have been a beast before I came here, dearie," Gold said, his gaze softening. "But I'm not anymore. Your mother-the Evil Queen-she might deserve death, but you don't."

Henry shifted uncomfortably from foot to foot, avoiding looking directly at Mr. Gold.

"All right," Emma said. "Henry, go back to the sheriff's office, lock the door behind you, and don't open it until I say so."

Henry took the key to the sheriff's office from Emma and sprinted away. Once he was gone, Emma crossed her arms and scrutinized Gold.

"Tell me really: why didn't you...kill...Henry? Wouldn't that be more cruel?" Her voice was harsh.

"It depends on how you look at it," Mr. Gold said. "I could have killed him. But then I thought, well, Regina loves Henry so much, and she hates you with a ferocity I've never seen before. What could hurt her more badly than having to see her precious boy living with her most abhorred enemy?" He smiled in satisfaction.

Emma said nothing, but Gold could tell by the expression on her face that she agreed with him.

"Now, if you'll excuse me, I have some...things I need to attend to," Mr. Gold told her, noddinghis head at the door.

"Fine. I can take a hint." Emma turned on her heel and left the store.

Gold sighed and went back into his office. He had some antiseptic somewhere; he needed to put some on his wound.

He switched the light on overhead, and began to rummage around in one of the several cabinets.

Just then, he accidentally knocked an empty glass bottle down with his hand, and it fell to the floor, shattering.

Muttering a curse under his breath, Gold turned around and started to pick up the shards of glass.

As he was concentrating on not cutting himself, another hand joined his in picking up the pieces.

Shocked, Mr. Gold jerked his head up. Belle was crouched in front of him. When he looked up, so did she.

"B-Belle, what are you doing here?" Gold asked.

She finished picking up the glass and threw it into a wastebasket. "I came to see you. Emma told me about what happened."

"Of course she did," Gold muttered. He got to his feet, causing a jolt of pain to lance through his shoulder and down his spine. A grunt of pain escaped his lips.

"You're hurt!" Belle exclaimed suddenly, her eyes widening slight as she saw the crimson stain on Mr. Gold's shirt. She hurried over to him. "Sit down, Rumpelstiltskin."

Gold began to protest, but she put her hands on his shoulders and steered him towards the chair.

"How did this happen? Emma didn't mention this," she said worriedly, unbuttoning his shirt the rest of the way and examining the wound.

"Regina shot me," Mr. Gold said bitterly.

Belle's brow furrowed, and she went back to the cabinet. After a few moments of searching, she located the antiseptic wash and brought it back over.

Gold gritted his teeth to keep from showing how much the antiseptic burned.

"So does getting revenge on Regina make you feel any better?" Belle asked, continuing to clean his wound with gentle hands.

"Oh, yes," Gold replied. But it was only partly true; there was still an aching void in his chest where his heart used to be. He supposed only time would heal that injury.

"But you still miss Baelfire."

Why could she always read his mind?

"Yes," Mr. Gold murmured. "I still miss him... so much..."

"I wish I could help," Belle answered. She had finished cleaning the wound and was now wrapping it up in some bandages she had found in the cabinet.

"No one can help. Not now," Gold whispered, shaking his head. "He's gone for good."

Belle said nothing; maybe she couldn't find the words she wanted to use. Neither of them spoke until she had finished bandaging his injury.

"There," she murmured. "You should be better in no time."

"Thank you, dearie," Mr. Gold answered with equally quiet tones as he slipped back into his shirt. He didn't move; instead, he stayed sitting in the chair, eyes on the floor.

"Are you all right?" Belle asked.

"Thanks to you, I am."

"No, I meant...are you all right _inside_?"

Gold sighed. "Besides having a shattered heart and a guilty conscience, my dear, I'm right as rain." Then he cut himself off, surprised he had been so open.

There was silence, and he kept his head lowered, not wanting to see the sympathy on her face.

But then he felt her hand under his chin, lifting his head. He just had time to see tears glistening in her eyes before she kissed him. It was as soft and sweet as it had been that fateful night when she had first kissed him...

She pulled back a moment later. Gold swallowed hard, struggling to keep back his emotions.

"I know you miss him, and I understand. But we're together now; surely that counts for something?" she said softly, taking his hand in hers.

"It does, Belle...it does, so much," he whispered, choking up.

Belle smiled sadly. Then she wrapped her arms around him, pulling him into an embrace.

He leaned into her, his emotions finally escaping as he wept freely, without caring about what she thought. Through it all, she held him close, running a hand through his hair, and whispering, "It's all right now. Everything will be all right, Rumpelstiltskin."


	6. Chapter 6

**Author's Note: **Well, this, my friends, should be the last chapter in the story. It involves some law-related things, and court, and such, so please forgive me if I get something wrong.

-X-X-X-

**I'm inspired to find the liar  
I never noticed until I focused  
On everything you did, you said  
You lit the fuse inside my head.**

_Shinedown - "Sin With A Grin"_

-X-X-X-

Mr. Gold awoke the next morning to a painful kink in his neck from sleeping in the chair all night long.

Belle wasn't in the room, but he noted that she had put an old quilt over him before she left. Gold smiled slightly to himself, then stood up and carefully draped the blanket over the back of the chair.

When he walked out into the store, he was surprised to find that Belle was, in fact, still there. She was busy dusting all of the knick-knacks on his shelves.

"Belle?" Gold said, more to announce his presence than anything. He did not want to startle her.

She turned her head and smiled that smile that always made him melt inside. "Good morning."

"Good morning, dearie," he responded. "May I ask what you're doing?"

"What does it look like I'm doing? I'm cleaning up your shop," Belle answered brightly. "It was in need of some tidying up."

"Well..." Gold was about to say that she should have gone back to the sheriff's office and gotten some sleep, but he decided against it. "Thank you very much."

"You're welcome." Belle continued dusting, humming a lighthearted tune to herself.

Mr. Gold watched her for a minute, then went through his office and opened the door that led to his small living quarters. It would not do to wear a wrinkled suit and bloodstained shirt to work.

After getting dressed up in more appropriate attire-a clean white shirt, navy-blue jacket and trousers, and a silk necktie-he returned to the shop to find Belle helping a young child who was looking for a gift to get their friend.

Gold couldn't keep from smiling as he watched Belle speak to the child in soft tones, taking first a rag doll off of one of the shelves, then a toy teapot.

Suddenly, Emma burst in. "Gold."

"You really must learn to stop barging into my shop as though you were on fire, dearie," Mr. Gold declared, fixing her with an annoyed stare.

"Whatever. Look, Regina has somehow figured out that I have Henry, and she's already filed a suit against me. There's supposed to be a court meeting later today, at, like, 5:00."

Another smile played across Gold's lips. "Excellent. I'll be there, don't you worry, dearie."

"Will you quit calling me that?" Emma snapped.

"Sorry, old habits and all," Gold replied placidly. "Now, I suggest you go and make sure Henry isn't stolen away. No need to find a lawyer; I'll serve in that position."

Emma muttered something about 'crazy' and 'delusions of grandeur' as she left the store.

Belle came over. The little girl was close behind her, clutching the rag doll in one hand. "What's going on?" Belle asked him.

"Ah, nothing, my dear. Simply my plan being put into motion." Gold glanced down at the little girl.

Realizing that he was waiting for her to say something, the little girl put five dollars-the price for the doll-on the counter. "I'm getting it for Jenny," she explained.

Jenny, Mr. Gold assumed, was her friend. "I'm sure she'll enjoy it." He put the money safely into the cash register, and the little girl raced away.

The rest of the day was uneventful, and 5:00 rolled around rather quickly. When it did, Mr. Gold and Belle (she had insisted on coming along) made their way down to the courthouse.

It was just starting as they entered. Ignoring the stares he received, Gold made his way to his seat next to Emma. Belle sat down near the eastern corner of the room.

Judge Williams was not a fairy tale character, at least as far as anyone else could tell.

"Right, let's get started, shall we?" Judge Williams said. He continued on to explain to the crowd of people in the room about why they were here-because Mayor Mills and Sheriff Emma Swan were arguing over who would gain custody of Henry.

At least, that was the basic gist of what he said, only with fancier words.

"Mayor Mills, exactly how did Sheriff Swan get a hold of Henry, if you tried your very best to keep him away from her?

"Mr. Gold kidnapped him," the mayor growled, glaring daggers at Gold.

He leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms. "I'm afraid you must be mistaken, Mayor Mills," he said smoothly. "I was at my shop the whole time last night. I never left."

"Then how do you explain the injury in your shoulder?" asked Regina.

"I was cleaning the guns in my pawn shop last night, and had an unfortunate accident. I was holding it the wrong way, and it went off, the bullet passing through my shoulder. I'm quite all right now, though." Mr. Gold kept eye contact with the mayor.

"And how do I know that you have an injury in the first place if I wasn't the one to put it there?" Regina snapped.

"It's quite obvious that my shoulder was injured, dear," Gold replied. "I'm being very careful not to jostle it, because of the pain it would cause. And there's more than likely a few specks of blood I didn't manage to get off of my neck before leaving to come here. I've had a very busy day." In actuality, it had been a very slow day, and while taking a shower, he had left a few spots of blood on his neck purposefully, to give him an excuse for this very discussion.

"I know for a fact that you were at my-" Regina started, leaping from her chair.

Judge Williams banged his gavel on the table. "Order, order."

Gold smirked as Regina sat back down, her face going red.

"Mr. Gold, do you have any proof that you were at your shop last night and that the wound you received did in fact come from one of the guns in your store?" Judge Williams inquired.

"Of course. All the guns in my shop are newly oiled and cleaned," Mr. Gold responded without skipping a beat. He hadn't really cleaned them the night before; but he had the day before that. "You'll see that clearly enough if you send someone to my store."

"And if you want an eyewitness, I stopped by his store last night, rather late, and he was there," Belle cut in, standing up from where she sat. "I saw him working on the guns."

Gold felt torn between feeling glad that he had her support, and worried that it would ruin his plans.

"And why did you come there so late?" inquired the judge.

"I have insomnia, and I couldn't sleep," she replied. "I was talking a midnight walk to calm my nerves, and saw the light on in his store. I know Mr. Gold quite well, and stopped by to talk."

Gold resisted the urge to smile to himself. She was as good a liar as he was.

"What-you can't trust her word, she was just recently released from the mentally insane section of the hospital!" spat Regina.

"She seems quite sane now, in my opinion," Emma snapped. Gold nodded his agreement.

"I must agree with Sheriff Swan, Mayor Mills." Judge Williams peered at Belle for a moment before saying, "Sit down now, young lady."

She obliged, casting a glance at Gold. He gave her a slight, almost imperceptible nod, indicating that he had appreciated the help.

The discussions went on for quite some time. At one point, Mr. Gold's turn came to stand up and speak on behalf of Emma. He was all too happy to oblige.

"Many people tend to argue that Henry is rightfully Mayor Mills' son," he said. "And while she very well did adopt him, that doesn't make her his real mother. That position goes to Miss-I'm sorry, _Sheriff_ Swan."

"She gave him up!" Regina was getting worried now; Gold could tell.

"Because she didn't have the skills and amount of time necessary to take care of a wee lad then. But she does now, and if things were to be legal, the court would grant her custody of him and be done with it." Mr. Gold watched Judge Williams, waiting for a reaction.

The judge frowned; it was quite clear he was about to disagree. But then a strange expression came across his face, and he nodded slowly. "That's right..."

Regina barely managed to stifle a scream of anger.

"All right, there will be a fifteen-minute recess while the jury makes their decision," the judge said abruptly.

People began to file out of the room. Gold spent his time loitering out in the hallway, waiting for the court to adjourn again. Belle had gone off someplace; more than likely to chat with Henry and Emma.

Fifteen and a half minutes later, Gold was back in his seat next to Emma, in the courtroom.

"We have made our final decision," the judge said. "Despite the fact that little Henry has been living with Regina for yours, the right thing to do is to send him back to his real mother."

Regina began screaming things that made even Gold grimace. She attempted to attack the judge, and had to be dragged out by several security guards. It was plain by the looks on their faces that she was too infuriated to think of using magic; otherwise, they would all have been doomed.

Emma pulled Henry into a hug. Gold allowed a small smile to appear on his face, and then left the courtroom. Just as he left, he saw Belle walk up to Emma.

Mr. Gold waited outside on the sidewalk for Belle. It was just then that Regina came stalking up to him, eyes blazing with fury.

"You will pay for this, Rumpelstiltskin," she spat. Her hand lashed out and seized his wrist with such force, Gold was surprised he didn't let a grunt of pain escape his lips.

But then he yanked his hand back. "In case you don't remember, _Your Majesty_," he whispered. "I've already paid. You killed my son, and it's only fair that you lose your child as well. You're a ruthless, deceitful witch, and I'm surprised I never noticed before. But now I have, and needless to say I won't ever do a deal with you again."

"Don't think you'll get away with this!" Regina hissed. "Watch your back, or you might find a dagger in it."

Before Gold could come up with a retort, she added, "And keep an eye on that beautiful little lady of yours."

Gold went rigid, knowing just what Regina was implying. "If you lay a hand on her, I will not hesitate to kill you _and _everyone you hold dear. Yes, that even means your precious son." He watched her eyes for a reaction. He found only rage. "Oh, that's right, I forgot. You don't _have _a son anymore."

Apparently, words were not enough to express her deeply profound rage. And so she backhanded Mr. Gold across the face.

His head snapped back with the force. He licked his lips and tasted blood. Instead of fighting back-which was no doubt what she wanted-he began to laugh. The same high-pitched, insane laugh of Rumpelstiltskin, with no hint of his normal tones to it.

Regina began calling him names that, though they would have made anybody else furious, only made him laugh harder.

Finally, he pulled away from her and walked away without looking back, still giggling under his breath, mostly because he knew it would enrage her even further.

An hour and a half later, Belle returned to the shop, Emma and Henry close behind her.

Gold leapt up from where he had been sitting, polishing a few brass figurines. "Belle! Where have you been, I was..." He hesitated. _Oh, who cares what Emma and Henry think. _"I was terrified."

He had been. He had regretted leaving so abruptly, and worried that Regina had gotten hold of Belle. His only consolation was that she had been with the sheriff, and therefore would be more safe. That is, if she had stayed with Emma, which she fortunately seemed to have done.

"I'm sorry," Belle said, gently placing her hand over his. "I meant to come right back here, but Henry wanted to go out for ice cream and I decided to tag along with them. I hope I didn't frighten you too badly."

He shook his head. "No, no."

"Thank you, Gold," Emma added. "I really appreciate everything you did. What I don't understand is why the judge gave in so easily."

And for very likely the first time since he had left his own world, Gold had a grin on his face. "Let's just say that magic is a very useful tool, dearie."

Emma's mouth opened and closed several times, before quickly snapping shut. "Right, okay. Come on, Henry. Let's go back to my office." She left.

Henry glanced back at Gold, who was still grinning. "Thank you, Mr. Gold."

"You're welcome, lad," he replied, watching as Henry darted outside to follow the sheriff-his mother.

Gold watched them go, and then stood up.

"I'm glad you didn't use violence to win this fight," Belle said suddenly. She was behind the counter now, tidying things up.

"Well, this way is better. It hurts Regina much more," Gold responded idly. He ran a hand along the brass figurine in his hand-a dragon.

At first, foreboding made his stomach twist into knots. Regina would get her revege; she always did. And he didn't want to lose Belle again.

On an impulse, he went behind the counter and pulled Belle into a tight embrace. She seemed surprise, but then returned it.

As he stood there, Gold vowed that he would not let Regina hurt Belle. If he had to give his own life to save Belle's, then so be it. He would not back down.

He would not lose someone else he loved.

Never again.


End file.
